The present invention relates to a control device of a communication system of an aircraft, notably a transport airplane. In the context of the present invention, a communication system is understood to be a set of standard communication equipment items, making it possible to implement and control audio communications on board the aircraft. These audio communications are, in particular, all those that the pilots of the aircraft can have, notably with air traffic control (via VHF channels or HF channels for example), with the airlines (via VHF channels or even a channel corresponding to a telephone link, for example over the “SATCOM” network), with the crew in the passenger cabin of the aircraft (via a channel corresponding to a cabin intercom), with the passengers (via a channel corresponding to a public address link, between pilots (via a cockpit intercommunication channel), etc.
To control such a communication system (that is to say all the communication equipment items), the pilots generally use a standard device of ACP (Audio Control Panel) type. This device of ACP type makes it possible to mix several communication channels in reception: radio communication (VHF, HF, etc.), SATCOM telephone link, cabin intercom, etc. This mixing enables pilots to listen simultaneously to several channels, with the possibility of setting the sound volume of each of the channels by means of buttons for setting sound volume of the device of ACP type. The ACP device further allows a user, such as a pilot, to select a communication channel for transmission (one channel at a time).
In addition to the device of ACP type, the pilot usually has a frequency setting device of RMP (Radio Management Panel) type, of RCP (Radio Control Panel) type or of RTP (Radio Tuning Panel) type, for setting the radio frequencies of VHF and HF radio communication channels. He or she can also manually select or set telephone numbers, via the SATCOM system for example, generally from a page that can be displayed on a device of MCDU (Multipurpose Control and Display Unit) type, or even from the frequency setting device.
The document FR2.821.468A1 describes a control device of a communication system incorporating the functionalities of a device of ACP type, of a device of RMP (or RCP or RTP) type, as well as telephone number selection or setting.
The device of ACP type, whether independent or incorporated in a control device such as that described in the document FR2.821.468A1, comprises a set of buttons for each communication channel of the controlled communication system. This set of buttons includes a button for setting sound volume (generally a rotary knob), a listening button making it possible to select or deselect listening to the corresponding communication channel and a transmission button making it possible to select or deselect the corresponding communication channel for transmission. In the case of a conventional communication system comprising, for example, two VHF channels, two HF channels, two channels corresponding to SATCOM telephone links, a cabin intercom channel, a public address channel and a cockpit intercommunication channel, the device of ACP type comprises nine sets of buttons corresponding to the abovementioned nine communication channels. This high number of buttons results in a significant footprint of the sets of buttons on the front panel of the device of ACP type. That also contributes to increasing the weight of the device of ACP type. Furthermore, the cost of the buttons, in particular of the rotary knobs, is high.